How to Install Hubzilla CMS with Apache on Ubuntu Linux

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Hubzilla is an open-source web publishing platform that allows for creation and management of websites on any device. It’s built on the LAMP or LEMP stack with a focus on ease of use, letting creators concentrate on content. Installation of Hubzilla on Ubuntu involves setting up Apache2 HTTP Server and MariaDB Database Server, installing PHP…

This article explains installing Hubzilla CMS with Apache support on Ubuntu Linux.

Hubzilla is an open-source web publishing platform (CMS) for creating interconnected websites. Like a shared hosting service, websites built on Hubzilla are isolated and have no idea who is accessing their content. Controlled access to data is limited to permissions settings between individual accounts on a site.

Installing Hubzilla CMS with Apache on Ubuntu Linux allows you to create and manage interconnected websites using an open-source web publishing platform. With Hubzilla, you can leverage easy management portal designs and technical quality without the bloats and focus on creating content for personal or business websites.

Apache2 HTTP Server, MariaDB Database Server, PHP 7.2, and Related Modules are required to install and run Hubzilla CMS. The steps outlined in this article will guide you through installing and configuring Hubzilla CMS using Apache on Ubuntu Linux.

For more about Hubzilla, visit its homepage.

When you’re ready to get Hubzilla working on Ubuntu, please continue with the steps below:

Install Apache2 HTTP Server on Ubuntu

Apache2 HTTP Server is the most popular web server in use. Install it since Hubzilla needs it.

To install Apache2 HTTP on the Ubuntu server, run the commands below.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2

After installing Apache2, the commands below can stop, start, and enable the Apache2 service to always start up with the server boots.

sudo systemctl stop apache2.service
sudo systemctl start apache2.service
sudo systemctl enable apache2.service

To test the Apache2 setup, open your browser and browse to the server hostname or IP address. You should see the Apache2 default test page, as shown below. When you see that, then Apache2 is working as expected.

http://localhost

Install MariaDB Database Server

MariaDB database server is a great place to start when looking at open-source database servers for Magento. To install MariaDB, run the commands below.

sudo apt-get install mariadb-server mariadb-client

After installing MariaDB, the commands below can stop and start the service and enable it to start when the server boots.

Run these on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS

sudo systemctl stop mysql.service
sudo systemctl start mysql.service
sudo systemctl enable mysql.service

Run these on Ubuntu 17.10 and 18.04 LTS

sudo systemctl stop mariadb.service
sudo systemctl start mariadb.service
sudo systemctl enable mariadb.service

After that, run the commands below to secure the MariaDB server by creating a root password and disallowing remote root access.

sudo mysql_secure_installation

When prompted, answer the questions below by following the guide.

  • Enter current password for root (enter for none): Just press the Enter
  • Set root password? [Y/n]: Y
  • New password: Enter password
  • Re-enter new password: Repeat password
  • Remove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Y
  • Disallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Y
  • Remove test database and access to it? [Y/n]:  Y
  • Reload privilege tables now? [Y/n]:  Y

Restart MariaDB server

Type the commands below to log into the MariaDB server to test if MariaDB is installed.

sudo mysql -u root -p

Then, type the password you created above to sign on. If successful, you should see the MariaDB welcome message.

Install PHP 7.2 and Related Modules

PHP 7.2 may not be available in Ubuntu default repositories. To install it, you will have to get it from third-party repositories.

Run the commands below to add the below third party repository to upgrade to PHP 7.2

sudo apt-get install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php

Then update and upgrade to PHP 7.2

sudo apt update

Next, run the commands below to install PHP 7.2 and related modules.

sudo apt install php7.2 libapache2-mod-php7.2 php7.2-common php7.2-sqlite3 php7.2-curl php7.2-intl php7.2-mbstring php7.2-xmlrpc php7.2-mysql php7.2-gd php7.2-xml php7.2-cli php7.2-zip

After installing PHP 7.2, run the commands below to open the PHP default config file for Apache2.

sudo nano /etc/php/7.2/apache2/php.ini

Then, save the changes on the following lines below in the file. The value below is an ideal setting to apply in your environment.

file_uploads = On
allow_url_fopen = On
short_open_tag = On
memory_limit = 256M
upload_max_filesize = 100M
max_execution_time = 360
date.timezone = America/Chicago

After making the change above, please save the file and close it.

After installing PHP and related modules, you must restart Apache2 to reload PHP configurations.

To restart Apache2, run the commands below

sudo systemctl restart apache2.service

To test PHP 7.2 settings with Apache2, create a phpinfo.php file in the Apache2 root directory by running the commands below

sudo nano /var/www/html/phpinfo.php

Then, type the content below and save the file.

<?php phpinfo( ); ?>

Save the file. Then browse to your server hostname followed by /phpinfo.php

http://localhost/phpinfo.php

You should see the PHP default test page.

Create Hubzilla Database

Once you’ve installed all the packages required for Hubzilla CMS to function, continue below to start configuring the servers. First, run the commands below to create a blank Magento database.

To log on to the MariaDB database server, run the commands below.

sudo mysql -u root -p

Then, create a database called hubzilla

CREATE DATABASE hubzilla;

Create a database user called hubzillauser with a new password

CREATE USER 'hubzillauser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'new_password_here';

Then, grant the user full access to the database.

GRANT ALL ON hubzilla.* TO 'hubzillauser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'user_password_here' WITH GRANT OPTION;

Finally, save your changes and exit.

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Download and Install Hubzilla via Git

Run the commands below to download Hubzilla’s latest content. Run each command line until you’re done.

sudo apt install git
cd /var/www/html
sudo git clone https://framagit.org/hubzilla/core.git hubzilla
sudo mkdir -p "store/[data]/smarty3"
sudo chmod -R 777 store
cd hubzilla
sudo util/add_addon_repo https://framagit.org/hubzilla/addons.git hzaddons
sudo sudo util/update_addon_repo hzaddons

Next, run the commands below to change the root folder permissions.

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/hubzilla/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/hubzilla/

Configure Apache2 Hubzilla CMS Site

Finally, configure the Apache2 configuration file for Hubzilla CMS. This file will control how users access Hubzilla CMS content. Run the commands below to create a new configuration file called hubzilla.conf.

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/hubzilla.conf

Then copy and paste the content below into the file and save it. Replace the highlighted line with your domain name and directory root location.

<VirtualHost *:80>
     ServerAdmin admin@example.com
     DocumentRoot /var/www/html/hubzilla
     ServerName example.com

     <Directory /var/www/html/hubzilla/>
          Options FollowSymlinks
          AllowOverride All
          Require all granted
     </Directory>

     ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
     CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined

</VirtualHost>

Save the file and exit.

After configuring the VirtualHost above, please enable it by running the commands below.

Enable the Hubzilla CMS Site and Rewrite Module

After configuring the VirtualHost above, please enable it by running the commands below, then restart the Apache2 server.

sudo a2ensite hubzilla.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2.service

Next, open your browser, go to the URL, and continue with the installation.

http://example.com/

You should see the Hubzilla installation page. Validate that all requirements are met and continue.

Next, type in the database connection info you created above and click Submit.

Then, configure the site settings and submit.

That’s it!

Next, Go to your new hub http://example.com/register and register as a new member. Remember to use the same email you have entered as the administrator email. This will allow you to enter the site admin panel.

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